W00t! A new chapter of Fur-Piled begins, and there's a new page of Closet Coon too! (The latter not being very safe for work, but cute :)

First reports from test screenings of an early cut of the H2G2 movie are very mixed, but suggest cause for hope.

sockscatt pointed out a novel solution to the perennial problem of glasses slipping down one's nose. (Hint: involves a piercing)

Plush for the day: Usa Pan hanPanda, courtesy of Action City. If you're not sure whether you'd really prefer a bunny or a giant panda, why not have both? (The company's mascot, as you may recall, is a flak-jacketed teddy bear in a gas mask)

Not quite the end of an era or anything so dramatic, but, it seems the long-standing Swedish VCL site has been closed down; hereon, the US site will be taking over entirely. They're seeking mirrors, if you happen to be sitting on reliable bandwidth (the Swedish site was going through around 1.6TB/mo, averaging 5Mb/sec), and don't mind hosting all sorts of furry artwork. That said, the index pages now carry links using the Coral distributed cache network, which appears to be doing very well indeed - possibly better than before!

From an Alton Brown rant: "I just saw the movie 'Supersize Me' and I have to say that I liked it. It was fun, irreverent film making on a shoestring and it's good to know that filmmakers can still pull that sort of thing off.

What shocked me about the movie wasn't what it said, or. Heck I already new most of that stuff. What shocked me were the gasps I heard from the audience, most of whom seemed generally surprised that big business could be so.. well.. business like.

Here's what it comes down to kids. Ronald McDonald doesn't give a damn about you. Neither does that little minx Wendy or any of the other icons of drivethroughdom. And you know what, they're not supposed to. They're businesses doing what businesses do. They don't love you. They are not going to laugh with you on your birthdays, or hold you when you're sick and sad. They won't be with you when you graduate, when your children are born or when you die. You will be with you and your family and friends will be with you. And, if you're any kind of human being, you will be there for them. And you know what, you and your family and friends are supposed to provide you with nourishment too. That's right folks, feeding someone is an act of caring. We will always be fed best by those that care, be it ourselves or the aforementioned friends and family."

Marvel! As Slashdot sinks to a new low point, posting a submission from an anonymous user (clearly unaffiliated) for a cellphone battery life extender. Which you stick onto the battery. Still, their technology page is good for a giggle.. "The wavelength of the electron released from BatMax is around 3-40 microns, and is considered to be within almost the same range with the oscillation frequency of molecules inside the battery. These molecules are able to raise their oscillation energy and electricity generation by receiving electron wavelength from BatMax." "BatMax contains permeable material, which is able to directly affect the molecule level inside the battery and BatMax reintegrates the uncharged particles into the electrical circuit."

Following the revelations by "Focus on the Family" that Spongebob Squarepants was being too tolerant, the United Church of Christ has made their stance clear. ^_^

Aaahh.. okay, that would make sense, though that high albedo's quite convincing - perhaps simply highly polished, then lacquered to prevent surface oxidation?

If it were practical to manufacture those in any kind of quantity, I'd say they could sell a fair few of those cases. Presumably it'd be feasible, if the person were so inclined - just run the CNC program again for the raw case, then perform whatever polishing/coating's involved.. ?

Certainly doable, if they used CNC - and given some of the other work on that site for improved cooling systems for Mac Cubes, I'd be surprised if they were using manual equipment. If they were considering mass production, it would probably be more cost-effective to make negatives from the original and cast, then apply the same sort of sanding and finishing - doesn't look like there's any undercuts to worry about. They could do an equally wide assortment of materials, and some that can't mill - latex, for instance (hardly as tough, but I'd be more worried about dropping an iPod than taking an elbow to it on the train, so different needs, different materials).